Increased technology and corporate globalization necessitate better management of information and staff members across many different boundaries. Information is spread across servers and databases, generally accessed through different software systems. Employees are in different time zones and are required to communicate with each on a more consistent basis.
It is a primary challenge of management to facilitate a clear communication of ideas between these staff members, while providing staff members with the resources and information they need to complete assigned tasks.
Traditionally, companies have developed intranet systems that utilize internet protocols and network connectivity to securely share information or operational systems with its staff members. However, typical intranet presences are deployed on a separate web servers in order to have rich functionality. Management of information on these servers is not always readily available and strains system resources.
Combining existing hardware and software into an integral office management system that enables remote access to the tools and/or information has been long desired. Office management systems have been developed that are in the form of a three-dimensional graphical user interface (GUI) for navigating within a virtual office environment. This allows the user, especially a manager, to have an integrated view of the office environment enabling better communication and information management. Employing a three-dimensional GUI provides these solutions with some connection to the physical environment to provide an intuitive grasp of resources, operation, and information available.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0192727 discloses a method for a virtual workspace comprising a three-dimensional user interface in which applications are accessed via user interaction with three-dimensional images. The method comprises a layer that allows a user to interact with 3-D objects to complete normal tasks and access physical assets. One embodiment of the reference provides information to a user in a fashion that is consistent with how a user would normally acquire corresponding information in the physical world. Although U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0192727 discloses a method for a virtual workspace comprising a three-dimensional user interface in which applications are accessed via user interaction with images of three dimensional shapes, this system presents a problem in that is lacks management of information across servers, supervision and interaction with staff members.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0183483 discloses management software comprising a web-based custom map application that links relational databases to a browser rendering format layout map that shows physical locations and relationships among people, rooms and other assets, and further teaches that the user first develop relational databases through information gathering. However, any information that is linked to the visual assets must be prepared prior to use. This system is purely a database front end or graphical user interface (GUI) that lacks the ability to link to present information found on a network server, which further facilitates supervision and interaction with other staff members.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0109031 discloses a customizable three-dimensional graphical user interface that allows for complete access to an existing computer operating system, applications and files, as well as the internet and on-line web portals. The software application automatically scans a computer user's hard drive and dynamically creates a customized three-dimensional environment that allows intuitive access to all of the user's computer functionality. In a preferred embodiment, the three-dimensional graphical user interface installs as the active desktop on a PC, replacing the user's “wallpaper” with the three-dimensional graphical user interface significantly increasing the viewing area and allows improved productivity and access to information. The three-dimensional desktop can actually look like an office where software applications and operating system functions are represented as realistic three-dimensional icons. A calculator program can be accessed by clicking on the calculator on the desk, a word processing document can look like actual paper documents, the weather outside can be based on today's weather forecast, and the radio accesses an Internet radio station. Although this graphical user interface allows for complete user access to an existing computer operating system, applications and files as well as the internet and on-line web portals, the reference only teaches intuitive access to a single user's computer functionality. The reference presents a problem in that it lacks desirable computer networking and monitoring features.
Many information management solutions, even the ones discussed above, fail to facilitate staff member supervision and network interaction. Presence awareness is one type of tool that can provide better communication with staff members. Information management solutions, unless they are server deployed, do not provide a rational file storage scenario for minimizing email traffic and cost. Companies have long desired a platform that enables staff members to communicate more efficiently in order to limit system resources, yet provide structure that gives managers and workers ready access to all the disparate resources available to them.
Currently, it takes multiple software systems and applications to access people, resources, and documents. Integrating a combination of these features has been challenging. An end-user, such as a manager, needs to control various aspects of the office environment. Providing a single integrated user friendly single view web page that integrates software systems and applications, wherein the end-user may manage and monitor staff members, assets, as well as documents, would be advantageous.
It is furthermore desirable to accomplish this with a minimum of clicks and without navigating away from a single page.